Dispensing device



Dec. 22, 1936. E. R. FRENCH DISPENSING DEVICE vFiled Jan. 27, A1956 l Cg f I I 'IIHI Patented Dec. 22, 1936 UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICEDISPENSING DEVICE Edward R. French, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor toMilton Jonathan Lukens, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application January 27, 1936, Serial No. 60,943

4 Claims. (Cl. 1 -227) My invention relates to a new and usefuldispensing device and it relates more particularly to a dispensingdevice adapted for use in connection with flush tanks of toilet bowls tothe end that the toilet bowl is, at all times, kept sterile, and for thepurpose of serving as a solvent and deodorant.

My invention further relates to a device of this character, which can beproduced at a very low cost, and one which consists of an extremelysimplified construction the parts oi which are not subject to anyappreciable wear or disorder when in use.

My invention still further relates to a device of this character, whichis adapted for easy and immediate installation by any unskilled personto render the device easily applicable and universally acceptable.

Other features of novelty and advantage will be more clearly understoodfrom the following specication and the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. l represents a fragmentary View, in front elevation, showing mydispensing device applied to the back Wall of a flush tank of a toilet.

Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, showingdetails of assembly and of the `valve construction in one positionthereof.

Fig. 4 represents a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the valve in anotherposition thereof.

Fig. 5 represents a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, ofthe valve element shown detached.

Referring to the drawing in which like reference characters indicatelike parts, I designates the back wall of a flush tank of a toilet bowl.2 designates the bottom of the tank from which extends the pipe 3leading to the toilet bowl proper, not shown. 4 and 5 designate,roughly, the levels at which the water in the flush tank normallystands, when the toilet bowl is flushed and when the flush tank is fullbetween ushings, respectively.

My dispensing device consists, generally, of the bracket l, which ismade sufficiently light, consistent with the necessary strength, andwhich is preferably made of a bendable or pliable formretaining metal sothat the upper end thereof may be bent around to engage the upper edgeof the back Wall of the flush tank, as shown at B and 9. To the upperportion of the bracket 'I is secured a retaining ring, or similarsupport IIJ, which guides the bottle, or other container II, for holdingthe solvent, disinfectant, deodorant I2. I4 designates the support forthe bottle II, and, in this instance, I prefer to make it in the form ofan inverted cup and to the inverted bottorn I5 of which I secure thebottle or container cap I6 to which the mouth of the bottle is threaded,as at Il, there being a gasket I8 to effect a liquid tight connection.The container II, and the cap I6 thereof, are standard items, so thatany container II from which the cap has been removed can be threadedinto the standard cap 10 I6 which is rigidly but detachably secured tothe inverted bottom I5 of the supporting element I4 by the bushing 20which passes downwardly through an aperture in the gasket I8, the cap I6and inverted bottom I5, the bottom end of which 15 is threadedly engagedby the retaining nut 2l. The bushing 20 has a ange 22 which is tightenedagainst the gasket I8 to make a liquid tight connection. Through thebushing 28 I insert the valve, shown generally in Fig. 5, which consistsof the upper and lower body portions 24 and 25, the upper ange 26, andthe central-reduced, or recessed portion 2'I. The upper flange 2Bprevents the valve element from dropping through the aperture in thebushing 20, and to the bottom portion 25 is secured the float 28, whichis preferably in the form of arr inverted cup, by means of the screw 29,it being understood from Figs. 3 and 4 that the float 28 is free to movevertically within the supporting element I4. 30 designates an air-ventin the upper body portion 24 of the valve, and 3I designates an air-Ventin the upper portion of the inverted cup supporting element I4.

In order to install the device, as seen in Fig. 2, it is merelynecessary to remove the cover of the Iiush tank, which is not shown, andto position the device as shown in Fig. 2, and then bend the upper endof the bracket I around the upper edge of the back wall I, as shown at 840 and 9. When the water in the ilush tank is at its higher level 5, orat any point above the top of the supporting element I4, the Iloat 28 isin its upper position, as shown in Fig. 4, and the reduced or recessedportion 21 of the valve is 45 pushed up to a point above the gasket I8and into the liquid I2 in the container I I. The liquid I2 occupies thereduced or recessed portion 2l, but the lower portion of the valvecompletely closes the opening of the bushing 28 and none of 50 theliquid I 2 can drop into the ush tank. WhenV the toilet bowl is flushed,and the water level therein falls to the point 4, or any point below theloweredge of the supporting element I4, the float 28 automatically dropsfrom the position 55 shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 3,and the few drops of the liquid I2, contained in the recess 21, now dropinto the liquid in the flush tank to be used for the next flushing. Whenthe float 28 is in its lower position, the upper portion 24 of the valvecloses the outlet of the bushing 20 and prevents any liquid I2, otherthan the drops contained in the recess 21, from falling into the waterin the iiush tank. As the water again rises in the flush tank, the float28 again assumes the position shown in Fig. fl in which the recess 21 isagain charged with the liquid I2. In order to insure the free movementof the oat 28, within the supporting element I4, I provide thevent-holel to prevent the air from being compreed therein and preventingthe complete rise of the float 2B. Similarly, in order to admit a smallamount of air into the container II to replace the amount of liquidwithdrawn from the container, with each .dropping of the float 28 I haveprovided the vent 30, the bottom end of which will be open to the airwhen the float 28 is in its lower position,-as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

It will thus be seen that my novel device consists of a very inexpensiveconstruction which permits the use of many standard or stock itemswhich, due to being capable of mass production, are extremelyinexpensive, and that the bracket 'I consists of a simple stamping towhich the supportingelement I4 is suitably secured by spotwelding, orotherwise.

After the contents of the bottle Il are exhausted, and it is necessaryto refill the dispensing device, it is merely necessary to with- .draw.the same from the flush tank and to invert it over a container Il fromwhich the conventional cap has been removed and after the mouth of thecontainer Il has been threaded into the cap I6 while the container II isin its upright position, the device is then inverted and the device ispositioned as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

With respect to the liquid I2 I wish to point out that the same consistsof ,a composition having solvent and deodorant components, therebygreatly decreasing the frequency with which the toilet bowlmust becleaned, aswell as keeping the toilet bowl sterile and deodorized..

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is,

1. A dispensing device for the flush tank of a toilet bowl comprising abracket adapted to engage a wall of said iiush tank, an invertedcupshaped support secured to the lower portion of said bracket in closeproximity to the bottom of said iiush tank and having an opening in thetop thereof, a standard threaded receptacle closure carried by saidsupport and having an opening therein registering with the opening insaid support, a standard inverted receptacle having a correspondinglythreaded mouth adapted to engage said closure, an inverted cup-shapedfloat vertically movable within said support and guided thereby, and avalve carried by said float and movable through said openings in saidsupport and said closure into and out of said inverted receptacle todischarge a predetermined amount of the contents of said receptacle intosaid ush tank with the rise and fall ofthe water therein, there being avent near the top of said inverted cup-shaped support.

2. A dispensing device for the flush tank of a toilet bowl comprising abracket adapted to engage a wall of said flush tank, an invertedcupshaped support secured to the lower portion of said lbracket in closeproximity to the bottom of said ush tank and having an opening inthe'top thereof, a standard threaded receptacle closure carried by saidsupport and having an opening therein registering with the opening insaid support, a standard inverted receptacle having a correspondinglythreaded mouth adapted to engage said closure, an inverted cup-shapediioat vertically movable within said support and guided thereby, and avalve carried by said float and movable through said openings in saidsupportand said closure into and out of said inverted receptacle todischarge a predetermined amount of the contents of said receptacle intosaid flush tank with the rise and fall of the water therein, there beingan air vent in the form of a through opening formed in said valve.

3. A dispensing device for the ush tank of a toilet bowl comprising abracket adapted to engage a wall of said flush tank, an invertedcupshaped support secured to the lower portion of said bracket in closeproximity to the bottom of said flush tank and having an opening in thetop thereof, a standard threaded receptacle closure carried by saidsupport and having an opening therein registering with the opening insaid support, a standard inverted receptacle having a correspondinglythreaded mouth Vadapted to engage said closure, an inverted cupshapedfloat vertically movable within said support and guided thereby, and avaive carried by said float and movable through said openings in saidsupport and said closure into and out of said inverted receptacle todischarge a predetermined amount of the contents of said receptacle intoVsaid flush tank with the rise and fall of the water therein, said valvecomprising solid vupper and lower portions each of which is-adapted toyclose said opening, and an intermediate notch in the body of said valveadapted to receive a predetermined quantity of the contents of saidreceptacle when said valve is in its uppermost position and to dischargesuch contents into the flush tank when said valve is in its lowerrnostposition, there being an air vent in the form of a through opening inthe body portion of said valve above said notch for transmitting apredetermined amount of air into said receptacle.

' 4. A dispensing device for the iiush tank of a toilet bowl comprisinga bracket adapted to engage a Wall of said flush tank, a support securedto the lower portion of said bracket in close proximity to the bottom ofsaid flush tank and having an opening in the top thereof, a standardthreadedreceptacle closure carried by said support and having an openingtherein registering with the opening in said support, a standardinverted receptacle having a correspondingly threaded mouth adapted toengage said closure, an inverted cup-shaped iioat vertically movablewithin said support and guided thereby, and a valve carried by saidfloat and movable through said openings in said support and said closureinto and out of said inverted receptacle to discharge a predeterminedamount of the contents of said receptacle into said flush tank with therise and fall of the water therein, there being a vent near the top ofsaid inverted cup-shaped support.-

EDWARD R. FRENCH.

CII

